John Butler, Beef Marketing Group, and Tom Brink, Five Rivers Cattle Feeders, described what kind of of cattle they are looking for during a session of Cattlemen's College sponsored by Pfizer. Finish weights can vary but in general feeders want cattle with the potential for performance and value. (Journal photo by Doug Rich.)

What feeders want in the cattle they buy is a question that ranchers are constantly trying to answer. This was the topic of a very well attended session of the Pfizer Cattlemen’s College on the opening day of the 2012 Cattle Industry Convention in Nashville, Tenn.

Tom Brink, Five Rivers Cattle Feeders, said he wants cattle with good performance potential. Cattle that gain efficiently and meet the target finish weight. Brink wants cattle that will finish between 1,350 and 1,400 pounds.

“Twenty-five percent of the cattle we feed don’t have the performance we need but it is better than it was five-years ago,” Brink said.

John Butler, Beef Marketing Group, said a 1,400 steer is too big for many end users. His customers want a ribeye that will fit on the plate and a 1,400 pound steer will not work for them.

Butler wants steers with value and value is more than pounds. Value includes food safety, environmentally friendly production practices, and animal welfare. Butler said there is an element of values in each of these areas.